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Big Six · 05-06-2003, 11:14 PM

Boston Herald , October 6, 1908

RED SOX COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN

Captain Collins' Boys Show More Ginger, Improve By Ten Games
Young Players Give Hope for Future

BOSTON--In 1907, the local American League affiliate stumbled home in a tie for last place, winners of only 70 contests, a generally uninspiring lot of players who all seemed too old, too young, too slow, or too unskilled to improve much on their performance.

What a difference a year can make! Jimmy Collins deserves the acclaim of all Boston for his performance this season, infusing the Red Sox with a dose of pep that made local rooters wonder if someone had taken the men who previously filled the Boston flannels and replaced them with entirely new recruits.

The most notable additions to the Red Sox squad were a trio of young players, all of whom spent their first full season with the big club this season. Two of them, pitcher "Tex" Pruiett and second baseman "Pat" O'Farrell, earned All-Star recognition for their fine play over the course of the first half of the season, and neither man let up much down the stretch, either. The third, flychaser Tris Speaker, did not show as well as the other pair, but displayed flashes of talent that made Collins swear he had uncovered the next Tyrus Cobb.

O'Farrell, a likeable Irish chap from the Berkshires, turned twenty-one in the last weeks of the season, but played the keystone bag like a man of far more experience. "Pat" customarily ranged far and wide, flagging down likely base knocks and turning them into outs. At the bat, the feisty O'Farrell was no slouch, either. He batted .281, with 47 extra-base hits, and drove 66 runners home, tied with "Gavvy" Cravath for the best on the squad. Also tops among Red Sox was "Pat's" 27 stolen bases.

Said Collins of his young second baseman: "O'Farrell showed as well as we hoped he would when we placed him in the lineup back in April. I see no reason why he will not continue to improve, as he gains experience."

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05-06-2003, 11:14 PM	#44 (permalink)
Big Six Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Williamsburg, VA Posts: 2,410 Thanks: 117 Thanked 91x in 73 posts	The close of a successful year Boston Herald , October 6, 1908 RED SOX COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN Captain Collins' Boys Show More Ginger, Improve By Ten Games Young Players Give Hope for Future BOSTON--In 1907, the local American League affiliate stumbled home in a tie for last place, winners of only 70 contests, a generally uninspiring lot of players who all seemed too old, too young, too slow, or too unskilled to improve much on their performance. What a difference a year can make! Jimmy Collins deserves the acclaim of all Boston for his performance this season, infusing the Red Sox with a dose of pep that made local rooters wonder if someone had taken the men who previously filled the Boston flannels and replaced them with entirely new recruits. The most notable additions to the Red Sox squad were a trio of young players, all of whom spent their first full season with the big club this season. Two of them, pitcher "Tex" Pruiett and second baseman "Pat" O'Farrell, earned All-Star recognition for their fine play over the course of the first half of the season, and neither man let up much down the stretch, either. The third, flychaser Tris Speaker, did not show as well as the other pair, but displayed flashes of talent that made Collins swear he had uncovered the next Tyrus Cobb. O'Farrell, a likeable Irish chap from the Berkshires, turned twenty-one in the last weeks of the season, but played the keystone bag like a man of far more experience. "Pat" customarily ranged far and wide, flagging down likely base knocks and turning them into outs. At the bat, the feisty O'Farrell was no slouch, either. He batted .281, with 47 extra-base hits, and drove 66 runners home, tied with "Gavvy" Cravath for the best on the squad. Also tops among Red Sox was "Pat's" 27 stolen bases. Said Collins of his young second baseman: "O'Farrell showed as well as we hoped he would when we placed him in the lineup back in April. I see no reason why he will not continue to improve, as he gains experience." (rest of article lost)